New Salem Old Home Day Celebrates 25 Summers of Music

New Salem Old Home Day Celebrates 25 Summers of Music at the 1794 Meetinghouse

New Salem’s Old Home Day on Saturday, July 20 will celebrate 25 summers of musical performances at the 1794 Meetinghouse on the town common. In addition to all the fun of an old-fashioned, small-town festival, this year’s Old Home Day will highlight the 1794 Meetinghouse’s role in bringing dynamic musicians from near and far to the summer stage, as well as supporting grass-roots community theater and the North Quabbin Pro Musica chorale.

This year’s festival will highlight the history of the transformation of the town’s iconic 220-year old meetinghouse into a vibrant rural performance center. A determined group of volunteers started the Meetinghouse restoration in 1987, and began to offer a wide-range of performances in 1994.

In addition to special Meetinghouse activities like a Special Anniversary Silent Auction to benefit North Quabbin Pro Musica, Old Home Day will include all the traditional summer festival events: cross cut saw competition; pony rides; live music; a giant book sale; art/craft/local products booths; Children’s Activities; a Cake Walk; Firemen’s Lunch Barbecue and Church Café; a parade; and more, including a Firemen’s Breakfast from 7-10am.

The popular historic and forest walks will feature a 9 am walk through the former Cooleyville Center, and a 2 pm Forest Resource Walk.

The fun-filled day will finish with a special return performance at the 1794 Meetinghouse (7:30pm) of the popular folk group Mad Agnes with Pete Nelson opening. People are encouraged to bring a picnic supper before the performance and dine with views of the Quabbin Reservoir from the New Salem overlook

From blues and folk to jazz and classical and everything in between, the 2019 Meetinghouse will bring 18 performances by well-known musicians to the North Quabbin region. Both the audience and seasoned performers are attracted to the intimate performance venue and the quality natural acoustics of the colonial structure. For more information on the 1794 Meetinghouse’s 2019 performance schedule go to: https://www.1794meetinghouse.org/